HISPANIC-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Famous Hispanic
Contributors and Contributions. Hispanic-Americans
made significant contributions to the development of our great nation even
before the days of Admiral David Farragut and the Civil War.
Farragut’s father, a Spaniard, came to America in 1776 and fought for
this country during the American Revolution and the War of 1812.
More recently, Hispanics have made their mark in politics, public
service, the entertainment industry, organized sports, business, and science, as
well as the military service. In
the November 1992 elections, because of redistricting and greater political
awareness, Hispanics counted an unprecedented number of 18 members of Congress
and two delegates within their ranks. The
eight new freshmen congressmen overcame overwhelming odds in some cases to win
in ‘92. This includes California
Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (the eldest daughter or Representative
Edward Royal), who is the first Hispanic woman to directly follow her father in
Congress, from an entirely different district.
Other historical political firsts are discussed below.
It is important to remember that with their representation election,
Hispanics now have twice the political clout.
Henry Cisneros, former
Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, was a member of the Clinton administration, holding
the cabinet post of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
In the entertainment
world, Hispanic-Americans came to the forefront in the late 1980s and early
1990s. Edward James Olmos, known
for his role on the television show Miami Vice, launched a successful movie
career and also starred in Stand and Deliver, a movie about Los Angeles educator
Jaime Escalante, and American Me, which concerns crime and violence in the
Hispanic community. Gloria Estefan
is a top contender in the record industry, and Rubin Blade recorded his first
album in English for non-Hispanic audiences.
In the world of science,
Antonia Novello, a distinguished M.D., became the first Hispanic astronaut.
Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman astronaut.
Like David Farragut,
Hispanics continue to distinguish themselves in the military service of their
country. Hispanics have been
awarded 39 Medals of Honor to date -- more of the nation’s highest military
honor than any other identifiable group. Some 20,000 Hispanics served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm,
and many unsung Hispanic heroes emerged from the ground war with Iraq.
In his autobiography, General Norman Schwarzkopf refers reverently to his
former commander, Hispanic General Richard E. Cavazos, U.S.A. (Ret.), as one of
the finest division commanders that he ever worked for.
During Operation Restore Hope, the relief effort in Somalia, this nation
mourned for the family of Domingo Arroyo, a Hispanic Marine and the first
casualty in the region killed in a fire fight with Somali warlords.
Hispanic-Americans have made a difference in the history of this country. They leave a proud heritage for future Hispanic leaders of the 21st century to emulate. Additional noted Hispanic-Americans and their contributions are listed below.
Politics
Nydia Velazquez --
First Puerto Rican woman to serve in the House of Representatives.
Lincoln Diaz-Balart --
Florida Congressman and anti-Castro activist, who is the first member of
Congress to be related to Fidel Castro.
Robert Menendez -- New
Jersey Congressman who is the first Cuban-American to serve in the House and
first Cuban representative from the state of New Jersey.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen --
First Cuban-American woman in the House of Representatives.
Luis Gutierrez --
Illinois’ first Hispanic in Congress.
Henry Bonilla -- First
Republican from the state of Texas.
Frank Tejeda -- First
member of the 103rd Congress elected when he emerged from the March 1992 filing
period unopposed by Democrat or Republican.
Bill Richardson -- First
Hispanic as Chief Deputy Majority Whip.
Joseph M. Montoya -- U.S.
Senator.
Dennis Chavez -- First
American-born Hispanic elected to the U.S. Senate.
Herman Badillo -- First
Puerto Rican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Henry Gonzales -- Texas
Congressman and Chairman of the House Banking Committee.
Ed Pastor -- First
Hispanic Congressman from the state of Arizona.
Bob Martinez -- Former
Governor of Florida and head of the Drug Enforcement Agency under President
George Bush.
Rual Castro -- Governor
of Arizona, resigned in 1977 to accept appointment as U.S. Ambassador to
Argentina.
Ramona Acosta Banuelos,
Katherine D. Ortega, and Catalina Vasquez -- Former U.S. Treasurers.
Lena Guerrero -- Member
of the Texas State Legislature and first woman or ethnic minority to be
appointed to the Texas Railroad Commission.
Xavier Suarez -- First
Cuban-American mayor of Miami in 1985.
Fernando Ferrer -- Bronx,
N.Y. borough president since 1987, possible candidate in New York mayoral race.
Nelson Merced -- First
Hispanic elected to the Massachusetts State Legislature.
Jose Serrano -- Bronx
Democrat Congressman and champion of inner-city educational reform.
Federico Pena -- First
Hispanic mayor of Denver.
Gloria Molina -- First
Latina on the City Council of Los Angeles.
Laura Cavazos -- First
Hispanic to occupy a cabinet position, as Secretary of education for the Reagan
Administration.
Bert Corona --
Mexican-American Political Associations.
Cesar Chavez -- United
Farm Workers.
Jose Angel Gutierrez --
La Raza Unida Party.
Jerry Apodaca -- Former
Government of New Mexico.
Baltasar Corrada --
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico.
Science
Jamie Escalante -- Los
Angeles educator credited for his role in improving the math and science skills
of Los Angeles-area high school students -- the improvement in Escalante’s
students’ scores on the Calculus Advanced Placement Exam for college entrance
was so dramatic that the group was accused of cheating by the Educational
Testing Service in Princenton, N.J. The movie Stand and Deliver tells his story.
Franklin R. Chang-Diaz,
Ellen Ochoa, and Sid Gutierrez -- NASA space shuttle astronauts.
Luis W. Alverez -- Nobel
Prize winner in physics for work with subatomic particles.
Severo Ochoa -- Nobel
Prize winner in medicine and physiology for laboratory synthesis of DNA and RNA.
Entertainment
Edwards James Olmos, Anthony Quinn, Gilbert Roland, Martin Sheen, Raquel Welch, Imogene Coca, Freddie Prinze, Jose Ferrer, Erik Estrada, Paul Rodriquez, Richardo Montalban, Saundra Santiago, Esai Morales, Marcia Conchita Alonso, Jimmy Smits and Raul Julia -- Actors.
Rita Moreno -- First
Hispanic actress to win an Oscar.
Brunilda Ruiz
--Ballerina.
Trini Lopez, Joan Baez,
Tony Orlando, Xavier Cuggat, Desi Arnaz, Carlos Montoya, Vickie Carr, Chita
Ricera, Jose Feliciano, Graciela Rivera, Tito Puente -- Entertainers.
Truman Capote and Anais
Nin -- Authors.
Geraldo Rivera -- Talk
Show Host.
Luis Valdez, writer of La
Bamba--the Richie Valens -- Story Writer/Director.
Lourdes Lopez --Principle
Dancer, New York ballet.
John Benitez -- Record
producer best known for producing Madonna’s first hit record.
Kenny Ortega --
Choreographer.
Ernesto Lecuona --
Composer.
John Secada -- Musician.
Scholars/writers
Nicolas Guillen -- Poet
inspired by African rhythms.
Carlos Montenegro --
Novelist.
Wilfredo Lam and Manuel
Martinez -- Painter.
Piri Thomas -- Writer.
Eduardo Seda, Ernesto
Galarza, Octavio Romano, Richard Duran, Julian Samora and George Sanchez --
Scholars.
Luis Valdez, Guadalupe de
Saavedra and Abelardo Delgado -- Poets.
Sports
Angelo Cordero -- Jockey.
Chi Chi Rodriquez, Nancy
Lopez, and Lee Trevino -- Golf.
Jim Plunkett -- Football.
Jose Torres, Hector
(Macho) Camacho and Kid Chocolate -- Boxing.
Juan Marichal, Luis Tiant,
Pedro Ramos, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente and Luis Aparicio -- Baseball.
Albert Salazar -- Boston
Marathon winner.
Business
Roberto C. Goicueta --
Former president and current chairman of the board of Coca Cola.
Prudencio Unanue --
Founder of Goya, a corporation producing Hispanic food products.
Oscar de la Renta and
Adolfo Sardina -- Fashion designers.
Elwood Quesada -- First
head of the Federal Aviation Agency and former vice-president of Lockheed
Aircraft Corporation.
Cesar Chavez -- Head of
the National Farm Workers’ Association (United Farm Workers of America).
Military
Hispanics have served as
general and flag officers in the military. Admiral Horacio Rivero was the first
Hispanic four-star admiral in the Navy; General Richard E. Cavazos was the first
Hispanic four-star general in the Army; and Lieutenant General Elwood R. Quesada
was the first Hispanic general officer in the Air Force.
Brigadier General Luis R. Esteves was the first Puerto Rican graduate of
West Point and founder of the Puerto Rican National Guard.
Contributions
Mexicans showed
Californians how to pan for gold and introduced the technique of using mercury
to separate silver from worthless ores. Certain foods common in
the U.S. are of Hispanic origin: tacos, tortillas, Caesar salad, and chili con
carne, which was invented about 1880 by Mexican-Americans living in Texas.
In 1992, salsa outsold ketchup for the first tine in the United States.
Some Hispanic words which
have become part of the American language: redo, cabana, macho, bonanza,
mosquito, chocolate, tobacco, adobe, burro, corral, desperado, incommunicado,
patio, plaza, poncho, vigilante, cafeteria, canoe, hurricane, cannibal, manatee,
tomato, canyon, armada, bronco, and barbecue.
Six state names are of
Hispanic origin: Texas (from tejas,
land of tile roofs), Nevada (land of snow), Colorado (red land), and California
(an imaginary island in Spanish folklore, “an earthly (state of flowers). Throughout the United State there are many cities and towns
with Hispanic-origins names. In
California, alone, there are more than 400.
Other contributions include poinsettias, Chihuahuas, chewing gum,
canasta, and rummy.
Although Spain was a
strong colonial power in North America in the 1700s, the Spanish defeat in the
Seven Years War led to the parceling of lands to the English in the Spanish
Colony of Florida. Spain,
therefore, felt no loyalty to the British Monarchy during the course of the
American Revolution. Despite
negotiations with the Continental Congress, neither side could agree on the fate
of Florida and therefore Spain played no overt role in aiding the American
colonist. Nevertheless, several
Hispanic forefathers, like the father of David Farragut, provided discrete or
covert aid to the colonists. Another
such man was Bernardo de Galvez, a Spanish army officer and Governor of
Louisiana in 1777.
From 1775-77, de Galvez
provided rations and weapons to the Continental Army.
In 1777, he arranged safe passage for James Willing, an American agent of
the Continental Congress, who had led a successful campaign along the
Mississippi harassing British shipping, plantation owners and military outpost.
Taking advantage of
weakness in the British defenses and Spanish recognition of American
independence in 1779, de Galvez captured all the British forts along the
Mississippi from Lake Pontchartrain to Baton Rouge.
He later defeated all British forces in Florida and restored control of
this region to Spain. For his contribution, de Galvez has been memorialized on a
U.S. stamp and a statue in Washington, D.C. and in his namesake city of
Galveston, Texas.
Post-Revolutionary War
One of de Galvez’s
officers, Franciso de Miranda, also played an important role in the defeat of
the British on the Mississippi and the capture of the port of Pensacola.
Ultimately a revolutionary himself, de Miranda left the Spanish army and
lead a campaign against Spanish colonialism while living in North America and
Europe. In 1805, he led an American-sanctioned invasion of
Venezuela and is credited with the title of
“Precursor of Latin American Independence.”
During the 1800s, the sale of all Spanish lands west of the Mississippi
to France was made under the proviso that these lands not be in turn
relinquished to the United States. France
reneged on its agreement and President Jefferson negotiated the Louisiana
Purchase for $15 Million in 1803.
Texas-American
frontier
The next conflict involving Hispanics in American history took place over territorial disputes between Mexico and the “Lone Star State” of Texas. When Mexican General and self-proclaimed President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna attacked the Alamo on March 6, 1835, 183 Texans were killed and six of them were Mexican.
One Hispanic survivor of the Alamo was Lieutenant Colonel John Nepomuncene Seguin. Selected as a courier to leave the fort, sneak through Santa Anna’s lines and obtain reinforcements, Seguin succeeded in escaping but could not obtain relief in time. After the war, he returned to San Antonio where he served two terms as the city’s mayor.
California-Mexican
frontier
One of the most
interesting Hispanic figures of this period in American history is Mariano
Guadalupe Vallejo. Born of the
upper class in 1808, Vallejo grew up during the turbulent years of the Mexican
Revolution. An accomplished Mexican
army officer by the age of twenty-one, he gained the confidence of the Mexican
governor and was named military commander of northern California.
During the same period, he became a member of the territorial legislature
an delegate to the Mexican Congress.
Despite these ties to his
native Mexico, Vallejo believed it would be in the best interests of the
California territories to yield their sovereignty to the United States.
He shifted loyalties and discretely helped Americans secure California.
Later appointed as an agent for the U.S. government, he became one of
eight California’s to write the State’s first constitution and became one of
the first members of the state westward expansion of America, Vallejo has been
highly recognized. The city of
Vallejo, California, was named in his honor, a vineyard produces wines with his
name, and in 1965, the U.S. Navy commissioned the nuclear powered fleet
ballistic missile submarine U.S.S. M. G. Vallejo (SSBN-658), one of
“the forty-one for freedom,” in honor of this distinguished Hispanic.
The
Civil War
When the Civil War broke
out, the Mexican-American community was divided in loyalty.
Approximately 1,000 joined the Union Army and another 2,550, the
Confederate Force.
By the end of the war, as
many as 9,900 Mexican-Americans fought. Most
served in the regular army or volunteer units which were integrated.
Some, however, served in predominately Mexican-American units with their
own officers. Of the 40,000 volumes
written about the Civil War, only one, Vaqueros in Blue and Gray, has been
written about their contribution.
In 1863, the U.S.
government established four military companies of Mexican-American Californians
(the First Battalion of Native Cavalry) to utilize their “extraordinary
horsemanship.” At least 469
Mexican-Americans served under Major Salvador Vallejo, helping to defeat a
Confederate invasion of New Mexico.
Colonel Miguel E. Pino
established the Second Regiment of New Mexico Volunteers.
At least six independent militia companies commanded by Mexican-Americans
were raised in New Mexico. Approximately
4,000 Mexican-Americans volunteered in these companies.
In Texas, the Union established 12 Mexican-American companies (the First
Regiment of Texas Cavalry). By and
large, the officers were non-Hispanic, although there were some Mexican Texans
serving as captains and lieutenants.
David G. Farragut was the
most famous Union Hispanic. When he was nine years old he was appointed as a midshipman
in the U.S. Navy. At 13 he served
aboard the U.S.S. Essex during the War of 1812.
In 1862, he successfully commanded Union forces and captured the city of
New Orleans. In the Battle of Port
Hudson (135 miles north of New Orleans) Farragut’s tactics for attacking fort
gained accolades. After
orchestrating the capture of Mobile, Alabama, Farragut was commissioned Admiral
of the Navy on July 26, 1866. He
took the command of the European Squadron and while in the Mediterranean, he
visited the birthplace of his father in Ciuddela, Minorca, where he received a
hero’s welcome.
Other Hispanics served in
such Confederate units as the Benavides Regiment, the 10th Texas Cavalry, the
55th Alabama Infantry, Manigault’s Battalion of South Carolina Artillery, the
6th Missouri Infantry, the Chalmette Regiment of Louisiana Infantry, and the
Second Texas Mounted Rifles. Colonel
Santos Benavides was the highest ranking Mexican-American in the Confederate
Army. He was one of the first to take up arms and one of
the last to surrender.
Loretta Janet Velasquez,
a Cuban-born woman, enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1860, masquerading as a
man, without her soldier husband’s knowledge.
She fought at Bull Run, Ball’s Bluff, and Fort Donelson, but was
detected while in New Orleans and discharged.
Undeterred, she re-enlisted and fought at Shiloh until unmasked once
more. She then took duty as a spy,
working in both male and female guise. Her
husband died during the war and she married three more times, widowed in each
instance. She later traveled throughout the West settling in Austin,
Nevada.
The
Spanish-American War
The catalyst for the
Spanish-American War was the sinking of the battleship Maine on February 15,
1898. Historians have debated the
cause of the Maine’s demise for almost 100 years.
Was it sabotage or was it an accident?
Was the incident engineered by the American side to give the country an
excuse for war? The loss of 260
American lives makes the latter theory unlikely.
Admiral Hyman G. Rickover wrote a scholarly thesis on the subject,
claiming that the explosion that ripped through the Maine’s lower decks was
caused by oily rags which led to an uncontrollable fire that ignited a magazine
full of ammunition. Whatever the
reason, the United States declared war on Spain on April 11, 1898, with the
avowed purpose of freeing the oppressed Cubans.
During the
Spanish-American War in 1898, there were several Hispanic members of Theodore
Roosevelt’s “Rough Riders.” Captain
Maximiliano Luna was the most distinguished Hispanic “Rough Rider.”
A military camp in New Mexico was named after him.
After the Spanish American War, George Armijo, another Hispanic “rough
Rider,” became a member of Congress.
World
War I
At the beginning of World
War I, Hispanics and others who lacked sufficient English skills were sent to
training centers to improve their language proficiency and produce soldiers
fully capable of being integrated into the army.
Eventually a training plan to do so was established at Camp Gordon,
Georgia. However, by the time the
camp was operational the war was almost over.
Nicholas Lucero, a
Hispanic, received the French Croix de Guerre during World War I for destroying
two German machine gun nests and maintaining constant fire for three hours.
Marcelino Serna, received the distinguished Service Cross for the
single-handed capture of 24 enemy soldiers.
His other decorations included: the French Croix de Guerre, the Victory
Medal with three bars, and two Purple Hearts.
It was not until 1989
that the first Hispanic recipient of the Medal of Honor was recognized in a
ceremony during Hispanic Heritage Week. David
Barkley was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for bravery in action on the
Meuse River, France, in November 1918. Barkley’s
Hispanic background did not come to light until 71 years after he gave his life
for his country. Other Hispanics
did serve in World War I, but there are insufficient records to determine how
many.
World
War II
Estimates for World War
II range anywhere from 250,000 to 500,000 Hispanics served in the Armed Forces.
Records are sketchy because, like the Census Bureau, the military did not
closely track Hispanic members. However,
Hispanic soldiers participated in all the major battles of World War II.
Nevertheless, it is known that between 1940 and 1946, approximately
53,000 Puerto Ricans served with the exception of the Puerto Rican 65th Infantry
Regiment, Hispanics did not serve in segregated units.
National Guard units, with large proportions of Mexican-Americans, served
from Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and California.
There were about 200 Puerto Rican women in the Women’s Army Corps.
The New Mexico National
Guard, with its large representation of Hispanics, became the largest single
American unit in the Philippines. There knowledge of Spanish was a definite asset as Spanish
was a principal language in the Philippines.
Because of this presence, many Hispanic-Americans were taken prisoner
during the fall of the Philippines and participated in the “Bataan Death
March.”
The first Hispanic Medal
of Honor recipient of World War II was Private Jose P. Martinis.
He was honored for his role in the 1943 American invasion of the Aleutian
Islands. One unit in particular,
the 141st Infantry Regiment from Texas, had a high concentration of Hispanic
soldiers. This distinguished unit
saw 361 days of combat during World War II, earning three Medals of Honor, 31
Distinguished Service Crosses, 12 Legions of Merit, 492 Sliver Stars, 11
Soldier’s Medals, and 1685 Bronze Stars.
Hispanic were awarded 12 of the 431 Medals of Honor awarded during the
Second World War.
Korean
War
During the Korean war
nine Hispanics received the Medal of Honor.
The Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Division was the only all-Hispanic
Division to serve during the Korean War. It
earned four Distinguished Service Crosses and 124 Silver Stars.
“Hero Street, .A,” in Silvis, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, is so-named
because it contributed more men to military service during World War II and
Korea than any other place of comparable size.
this street was home for a number of Hispanic families, and Silvis now
has a monument to the eight Hispanic heroes who died during the two wars.
Captain Manual J.
Fernandez, USAF, an F-86 fighter pilot assigned to the 334th Squadron, 4th
Fighter Interceptor Wing, was credited with 14.5 enemy kills in 125 missions.
He was the third-ranked fighter pilot of the war and retired as a
Colonel.
The
Vietnam War
Precise figures are not
available for Hispanic participation in Vietnam.
Prior to the full-scale escalation of the Vietnam War, Special Forces
Advisor, Sergeant First Class Isaac Camacho’s fire base was overrun by Viet
Cong in November 1963. After an intense fire fight, Camacho was taken prisoner.
He is most likely the first Hispanic POW of the Vietnam era.
Remarkably, Camacho escaped his captors after 20 months and made his way
to freedom. He was awarded the
Silver and Bronze Stars in September 1965 and later promoted to Captain, U.S.
Army.
Lieutenant Commander
Everett Alvarez, Jr. was the first American pilot taken as a prisoner of war and
remained a prisoner longer than anyone else, eight and a half years.
One April 30, 1975, Master Sergeant Juan J. Valdez climbed aboard the
last U.S. helicopter to depart the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon.
The U.S. presence in Vietnam, which spanned 18 years, ended.
Valdez’s presence gave credence to the America’s war:
“First in...last to leave.”
Post-Vietnam
Era
Approximately 80,000
Hispanics served in the Vietnam theater of operations and 13 won the Medal of
Honor, 6 of them Marines. This is
not unusual. Hispanics have
received the highest honors to date in the U.S. Navy.
As of 1990, six ships and three active submarines have been named for
Hispanics, including the nuclear-powered 688 class fast attack submarine, USS
San Juan, named after the capital city of Puerto Rico.
Admiral Horacio Rivera
became the first Hispanic four-star Admiral in 1979 and ultimately served as
Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Between 1979-1980, Edward Hidalgo held the highly esteemed
and power position of Secretary of the Navy.
During Hidalgo’s tenure, millions of dollars were committed to
television advertising campaigns and new recruiting techniques to attract
Hispanic youth to the Navy.
Desert
Shield/Storm
Approximately 20,000
Hispanic serviceman and women participated in Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
According to Defense Manpower Data Center statistics, Hispanics comprised
7.9 percent of the Fleet Marine Force, 6.0 percent of the Navy, 4.2 percent Army
and 3.1 percent of the Air Force representation in the Persian Gulf theater
during the war.
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07/16/09